Spring/Summer Footwear Essentials – Deck Shoes

Last week I put together a guide to achieving the nautical look this Spring/Summer using KEY wardrobe essentials and hopefully a lot of items you already posses. As you should all know by now, the nautical look is going to be THE big men’s fashion trend for the sunny period and what I personally LOVE about the whole style is that it epitomises everything that is changing within men’s fashion. As I mentioned in the article, 2 of the KEY pieces to achieving this look are chinos and deck shoes. These are 2 items that I think 95% of the male population (especially over here in the UK) have NEVER considered wearing before within a casual outfit.

Is this finally going to be the break through I have been waiting for in men’s fashion for years now? A move away from the “safety” of using jeans, trainers and t-shirts to create every outfit? I really hope so, because it promises great advancement in the men’s fashion industry and the standard of men’s attire on a whole. I think it proves that men are now ready to push and develop their own personal style in order to create an individual look. One that stands out from the endless sea of drones walking along your high street. And dear reader, I congratulate you for continuing to read this website and being open to the idea of using new and creative pieces within your outfits. Being willing to push yourself and experiment in order for progression.

However, as I know full well with progression sometimes comes lack of understanding, slight negativity and questions. I noticed a few people commented on the Nautical look book saying they thought deck shoes were “ugly” OR in other cases they “have grown on them”. I think this kind of proves the point that as males, unless we understand why or how something works (or in this case see examples) we are never going to completely be behind a trend or style… damn you logical mind! Obviously this is a bit of a stereotype and there are exceptions to every rule, but I have noticed this a lot especially in those males who are not totally confident with their own look yet or trying new items out. It takes time and patience to develop your personal style (along with what items work for YOU) though so don’t be disheartened.

Anyway, with that out of the way I thought I would showcase to you today just how big and just how much of an essential this type of footwear will be this year. When I was looking for deck shoes for the look book I was literally spoilt for choice. There are 100′s of varieties available right now online and in the high street, so by having a grouped collection to browse through, you may become inspired or find a style you know will be easily incorporated into your Spring/Summer wardrobe.

I have split them down into solid colours and mixed, because I think if you are starting out with using these in your outfits, you should go for the solids. They are a lot more subtle and should give you the confidence to try them with jeans, shorts, chinos or even slim trousers. I would also recommend you going for a great navy, black or brown pair as they will coordinate beautifully with most other colours you have in your existing wardrobe. Some of you may actually find a white colour way a lot more natural due to the fact they look a lot like leather trainers. This means you can use them with jeans very easily as a quick substitution in your existing outfits and just give a subtle nod to the trend. Pair it with a striped t-shirt and you have instant simple nautical.

The last thing I would say, and was my personal sticking point when experimenting with this new style of footwear last year was the size. I have a real problem with ‘clunky’ shoes and how they look in proportion to the bottom half of my outfit. I know it sounds weird but I am very conscious of looking like I have clown shoes on which is a big problem when you are pairing your footwear with skinny/slim fit jeans or chinos. What I would say though is that there are a lot of styles that come in more of a loafer cut and have slim soles, as well as a slightly slimmer height. What I wanted to point out is that everyone has trouble adapting to new styles and can become conscious of how they look, but once you get over that initial self doubt feeling and become more confident with using them in your outfit, it will become like second nature and just like throwing on a pair of Converse without even thinking about it again.

So here’s to progression fellas…

New Season Deck Shoes

Solids
As a quick note I recommend you take a look through the Size.co.uk picks below (black background images) because they are doing some great limited edition styles and some amazing canvas trainers with a boat shoe cut for those that still really don’t like the look or feel of using shoes in casual outfits.

Mixed Colours